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Don’t Let Him In: By Lisa Jewell (Book Review)
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Jun 24, 2025
Don’t Let Him In: By Lisa Jewell (Book Review) In Don’t Let Him In, bestselling author Lisa Jewell delivers another chilling tale of deception, grief, and the slow unraveling of trust. At its core, this domestic thriller isn’t just about a charming stranger who infiltrates the lives of unsuspecting women—it’s about how vulnerability can be weaponized, and how far people will go to uncover the truth when instincts scream that something’s wrong. In the review below, we explore the plot, character depth, thematic power, and reader reactions to Don’t Let Him In, highlighting why this psychological thriller has left readers both breathless and wary. #dontlethimin #booktok #review website: https://gobookmart.com/dont-let-him-in-by-lisa-jewell-book-review/ 📕 Buy Now : https://amzn.to/4kRUQmR
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0:00
hey there Bookicious listeners welcome
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back to another episode where we unpack
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the books that keep you turning pages
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wrong after midnight i'm your host and
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today we're diving into a psychological
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thriller that's as chilling as it is
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emotionally charged don't let him in by
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best-selling author Lisa Juel if you've
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ever found yourself captivated by
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charming strangers or second-guessing
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your instincts this one's going to hit
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close to home in today's episode we're
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unpacking the plot the characters the
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emotional gut punches and why this book
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might just leave you a little more
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cautious the next time someone too
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perfect enters your life the story kicks
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off in classic Lisa Juwel style with a
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death a mystery and a web of characters
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whose lives are more intertwined than
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they initially appear meet Nina a recent
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widow whose husband Patty died after
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being pushed in front of a train one day
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she receives a package from someone
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claiming to be Patty's old friend a man
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named Nick Radcliffe inside is a
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sympathy note and Patty's lighter creepy
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a little but comforting too nah and her
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daughter Ash still grieving start
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chatting online with this mysterious
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Nick before long that digital connection
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turns into something very real and very
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unsettling
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meanwhile in another part of town we
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meet Martha a small town florist and
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mother of three her husband Alistair's
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frequent business trips are setting off
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alarm bells and as you might guess
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that's not just paranoia
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as these three women's stories unfold
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their lives begin to intersect in ways
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none of them could have predicted lisa
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Juwel doesn't just craft twisty plots
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she gives us characters who feel like
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people we know or even parts of
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ourselves let's break down the key
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players nah Swan a grieving widow
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looking for meaning in the aftermath of
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tragedy when Nick offers kindness and
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connection she clings to it
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vulnerability becomes her blind spot ash
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Swan Nah's 20-something daughter freshly
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out of a mental health crisis and hyper
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aware of danger she's the first to
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suspect Nick isn't who he claims to be
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and her slow burn investigation is one
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of the most satisfying parts of the book
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martha overwhelmed by motherhood and
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marital doubts Martha's arc is one of
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quiet resilience her unease about
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Alistair her husband builds in the
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background until it can't be ignored
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nick Radcliffe alistair the con man
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whatever name he uses this man is a
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shape shifter he's the charming stranger
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we all want to trust and the cautionary
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tale that reminds us why we shouldn't
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juel is a master of structure and in
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Don't Let him Him In she plays with
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multiple timelines and viewpoints
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including chapters from the manipulative
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man himself this isn't just a stylistic
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choice it creates a sense of creeping
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dread you know that feeling when you
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almost put the pieces together but not
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quite juel builds that feeling chapter
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by chapter some readers have said the
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shifting timelines were a little
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disorienting at first but trust me the
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payoff is worth it let's talk themes
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because while this is definitely a
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psychological thriller Don't Let him Him
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In is also a powerful look at grief
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vulnerability and the illusion of safety
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first up the illusion of perfection nick
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is the kind of man who's just polished
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enough to seem like a dream he knows how
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to press all the right emotional buttons
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but like many real life manipulators the
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cracks in his persona are slow to show
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then we have grief and emotional
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manipulation nah is grieving ash is
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recovering martha is lonely all of them
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want something connection answers
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reassurance and Nick exploits each need
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like a seasoned predator and perhaps
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most importantly female solidarity as
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the women slowly uncover the truth they
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find strength not just in themselves but
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in each other their bond becomes a quiet
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but powerful rebellion against
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manipulation and control so what makes
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Don't Let him In a must- readad the
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pacing is tight the suspense is high the
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characters are layered and believable
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you'll root for Ash you'll worry for
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Nenah you'll beg Martha to trust her gut
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but no book is without flaws the ending
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some readers wanted more of a punch
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something with a bit more finality and
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if you've read a lot of thrillers you
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might feel like the charming stranger
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with a dark secret trope is a little
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familiar still Lisa Juul manages to
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inject enough emotional weight and
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character-driven storytelling to make it
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feel fresh let's break it down suspense
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and pacing four stars character
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development four stars originality four
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stars complexity and structure four
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stars ending satisfaction three stars
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overall recommendation four out of five
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stars it's gripping it's emotional and
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it might just have you double-checking
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your own DMs lisa Juwel once again
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proves why she's a titan in domestic
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suspense don't let him in isn't just
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about a con man it's about how we let
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people in how we ignore our instincts
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and how trust can be both our strength
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and our downfall if you're looking for a
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psychological thriller that'll leave you
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breathless and maybe a little paranoid
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go grab this one just maybe don't read
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it alone at night that's it for today's
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episode of Booklicious Podcast if you
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enjoyed this breakdown don't forget to
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subscribe leave a review and tell us
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what would you do if someone like Nick
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showed up in your inbox until next time
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keep reading and maybe keep your guard
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